


quisby

by helsinkibaby



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Fluff, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:33:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29948664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Callen calls in sick to work.
Relationships: G Callen/Nell Jones
Kudos: 14
Collections: 1 Million Words' Weekend Challenge





	quisby

**Author's Note:**

> For the weekend challenge, “I am insulted.”
> 
> 28\. Quisby: In Victorian English, doing quisby meant shirking from work or lazing around. A quisby was someone who did just that.

“Excuse me?” Sam’s disbelief came through the phone loud and clear. “Say that one more time?”

“You heard me.” Callen was smiling, even though it was hard to fill the coffee machine one handed. It would be much easier to fill the machine, turn it on and then call Sam. Of course, it would also take longer, thus his lack of interest in that plan. “You don’t have to pick me up, I’m not coming in today.”

“You? Who never misses work. Who has, like, eight weeks of vacation time? You’re not coming in today?”

In actual fact, that was an old number, Callen’s accrual of vacation time now standing at nine and a half weeks. Callen wasn’t going to point that out though, not when it only proved Sam’s point. Besides, there was a rather obvious joke that went along with that figure which was a little too on the money as far as Callen’s plans were concerned. 

“I’m sick,” he tried, even adding on a cough for good measure. Behind him, there was a hastily stifled snort of laughter; on the other end of the phone, Sam’s amusement was evident. 

“Are you kidding me? My kids were more convincing than that when they were six years old.” There was a pause then, where Callen could hear the gears spinning in Sam’s head. Hoping that his partner’s next suggestion wouldn’t include Deeks - or worse, Roberta - checking up on him, Callen opened his mouth to hang up before that could happen. Unfortunately, he just a few seconds too late. “You got a woman you’re hiding from me?” 

Knowing he was busted, unwilling to admit it, Callen turned around, leaned against the countertop and looked across the room. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

Wrapped up in his bedsheets, Nell propped herself up on one elbow, pointing at her chest. She mouthed the words, “He guessed?” with a wide smile - she’d predicted that this would happen. 

He grimaced, waved his free hand in acknowledgment that yes, she’d been right on all counts. Her smirk could have been seen from space. 

“Uh-huh.” Sam didn’t believe him in the slightest. “Right.” 

Just to keep his story going, Callen faked another, longer, cough. “Man, I feel rough,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning. Maybe.” 

He hung up the phone then, tossed it on the counter and made his way to the bed, dropped down beside Nell, who by now wasn’t even trying to hide her laughter. “That was pathetic,” she announced. “For an undercover agent, you’re a lousy liar.” 

The opposite was true but he was willing to concede that he might not have given his best performance just now. “I was distracted.” His hand slipped under the covers, finding the smooth skin of her hip, fingers tracing gentle patterns there, distracting him still more. 

“By your sickness?” Nell lifted one eyebrow, her smile shifting from amusement to something else entirely. 

“That’s right. In fact...” Callen smiled as he brought his lips to hers. “I think you should kiss me better.” 

Which is just what she did.


End file.
